Filing device



Nov. 13, 195] Filed Feb. 25, 1950 D. A. GUNN FILING DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet l 3nventor (Ittor g Nov. 13, 1951 D. A. GUNN 2,574,870

FILING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Srwentor Donald AGunnI By Cmoneg D. A. GUNN Nov. 13, 1951 FILING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Feb. 25, 1950 Imven'tor B DonaZdZ. Gunn Gttotneg Patented Nov. 13,1951 NT OFFICE;

FILING DEVICE Donald A. Gunn, Kenmore, N Y., assignor 1 to RemingtonRand Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 25, 1950, Serial No. 146,235

3 Claims. (01. 129-16) This invention relates to filing devices usingswingable dividers. Primarily it is concerned with file drawers or likereceptacles. which are provided with dividers to partition the interiorof the drawer into transversely extending compartments, and in whicheach divider is swingable about its lower edge from a rearwardlyinclined to a forwardly inclined position and vice versa. It is,however, to be appreciated that the invention is not essentially limitedto file drawers and that the dividers can be used, for example, insorters.

The invention provides a divider having a tongue extending from itslower edge for cooperation with a slot extending'transversely at thebottom of the drawer or equivalent receptacle or carrier, such tonguebeing bent to provide a formation extending both rearwardly andforwardly relative to the plane of the divider, said formationscooperating with the member in which the slots are provided to definethe forward and rearward limits of inclination of the divider.

It is a feature of the'invention that whereas the dividers can, bydeliberate manipulation, be removed from the drawer or equivalentreceptacle or carrier, they are not so easily removable that in normaluse they are likely to be inadvertently and inconveniently displaced soas'to interfere with the intended compartmenting.

It is also a feature of the invention that whereas the limit positionsare positively defined, the divider can be moved easily from eitherlimit position to the other.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a section on the line I-I of Fig. 2, anda section on the line II-II of Fig. 1, to illustrate the invention asapplied to a card filing drawer.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation partly insection corresponding toFig. 2 but considerably enlarged, the better to illustrate how thedivider attachment tongue cooperates with the base portion of the drawerto define the limit positions of rest between which the divider ismovable.

' Figs. 4, 5 and 6, correspond to the showing of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, butshow the invention as applied to a correspondence file drawerinstallation in which lugs extend laterally from the side walls of thedivider for engagement with the top edges of drawer side walls toincrease the rigidity of the divider when it is at rest at either limitposition.

.. As cw w r fe ence i9 Fi s 9. 1. h yar filing drawer, generallyindicated by the refer ence numeral l0, has a bottom ll within whichtransversely extending slots I2 are provided at intervals spacedlongitudinally throughout the length of the drawer. The drawer isintended to be partitioned into a series of transversely extendingcompartments by dividers, one of which is seenin the drawings and isthere generallyindicated by the reference numeral 13. Each divider ismainly constituted by a panel portion 14 and from a substantiallycentral portion of the lower edge 15, there extends a locating tonguegenerally indicated by the reference number 16. It will be seen that thetongue I6 is deliberately shaped having, adjacent the edge [5, arearwardly bent portion H which projects rearwardly out of the plane ofthe panel portion [4 to a con siderable extent before merging into aforwardly bent portion IE. it is noteworthy that both the rearwardextension I1 and the forward extension [8 project out of the plane ofthe panel to a considerable extent. That is an essential feature of theinvention and extent of such projection is particularly related to thewidth from front to back of the slot 12 so as to ensure that whereas thetongue [6 can,-by deliberate manipulation, be both engaged in, and, atany subsequent time, disengaged from the slot I2, it will not be soeasily disengageable that it is likely to be inadvertently disengaged innormal use in the file. v

The normal position of rest of the divider is shown in dot and dashlines in Figs. 1 and 3. In that position as viewed from the front of thedrawer, the divider panel portion is inclined rearwardly, roughlycorresponding to the general inclination of the file cards, not shown.When a user wants to refer to a card in a particularcomvpartment heflicks the forward divider of that compartment forwardly into the fullline position of Figs. 1 and 3 to give space .to manipulate and view thecards.

The manner of engaging the tongue I6 in a selected one of the slots l2and the manner in which each of the tongues l6 cooperates with theunderside of the drawer bottom to define the' tilt limit positions willbest be. understood with reference to the enlarged fragmentary showingof Fig. 3. Thus to engage the tongue It in a se; lected slot I2, anoperator tilts the divider forwardly so that the upper edgeof the panelportion I4 is directed toward the front of the drawer, in other words,to about the degree of inclina- .tion of the full line showingin Figs. 1and 3.

With that inclination, the free end of the forwards tension iisa ib intu es qb iqv y into the selected slot [2. The divider is then manipulatedto swing the forward extension I8 in a forward and somewhat downwardlyinclined direction until the forward projection I8 is fully enteredthrough the slot l2. At that stage the concave surface of the curvedportion 19 of the tongue whereat the rearward extension I! merges intothe forward extension l8, closely engages the forward edge 20 of theslot [2. In that intermediate position of entry, the rearward projectionI! of the tongue still remains above the bot Figs. 1 to 3 operates quitesatisfactorily for tom II, and to achieve full engagement of the tonguethrough the slot, the operator tilts the panel portion rearwardly at thesame time moving its lower end somewhat rearwardly and downwardly toengage the rearward projection l1 under the back edge 2| of the slot 12.The tongue is then fully engaged and it will be noted that the loweredge l of the panel portion I4 of the divider cooperates with the uppersurface of the drawer bottom to prevent the divider from falling throughthe slot. When fully inserted, both the rearward projection I1 and theforward projection iii are intended in normal use to remain below thebottom H, and in the normal rearwardly inclined position of rest asshown in dot and dash line in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper corner of theslot back edge 2! engages the back of the panel and the weightdistribution of the divider tends to keep the panel tilted rearwardly tothe full extent permitted at which the upper edge of the free end of theforward projection l8 engages the under surface of the bottom of. thetray immediately in front of the selected slot [2. When the user wantsto gain access to cards, he flicks the upper end of the dividerforwardly thus rocking the tongue rearwardly until the upper part of therearward projection l1 engages the bottom H immediately behind the slot12 with the face of the divider resting against the upper edge of thefront wall of the slot. The divider is thus securely located in both theextreme positions of tilt, and since the distance between the front edge20 and the back edge 2| of the slot is less than the distance betweenthe rearward and forward projections l1 and [8 respectively extend outof the plane of the panel portion 14, the divider cannot beinadvertently disengaged from the slot in normal use.

To remove the divider it is necessary to raise it slightly whileswinging the tongue forwardly until the concave front surface of thecurved portion [9 engages the front edge 20 of the slot [2. If the panelis then manipulated to swing the tongue rearwardly while continuing thelifting action, the forward projection will slide in a generally upwardand rearward direction until it is clear of the slot [2, wherea'fter thedividercan be lifted as a whole right out of the drawer.

The permissible degree of tilt depends upon the relation between thedimension of the slot from the front to back thereof, the gauge, thematerial used for the divider and the drawer bottom H and also upon theangular setting of the rearward and forward extensions I! and [8respectively. Thus, with the gauge and slot proportions of Fig. 3, if,in production the free end of the forward projection l8 were bentsomewhat downwardly from the setting in which it is shown thepermissible extent of rearward tilt would be greater than the dot anddash showing in Fig. 3. Conversely, setting the forward projection moreupwardly would reduce the degree of tilt. Likewise the forward extent oftilt corresponding to the full line position in Figs.'l and-3 dependsupon the angular setting of the rearward projections II.

It will be appreciated that one effect of enlarging the parts in theFig. 3 showing is that it appears that the tilting action of the dividermight be somewhat sloppy or irregular. That, however, is due to theexaggerated effect of the enlargement, for in practice the divideroperates 'quite satisfactorily with the parts scaled to about theproportions shown.

Whereas the form of the invention as shown the card size drawers andother small installations, it is, in many cases, desirable incorrespondence and legal size file installations to provide increaseddivider stability. Figs. 4 to 6 illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention as applied to the larger installations, and similar referencenumerals have been employed to indicate parts which correspond to theshowing of Figs. 1 to 3.

Thus, in a larger installation, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the onlystructural differences compared with the Figs. 1 to 3 construction arethe duplication of the tongues 16 and their cooperating slots, and theprovision of the laterally projecting lugs 22 for engagement with theupper edges of the drawer sides 23. 'l u h the general f rm and themanner of installing and removing the divider it of the Figs. 4 to 6construction is similar to that already described with reference toFigs. 1 to 3, the operative relation between the lugs and thecooperating slots 12 is somewhat different in regard to the location ofthe divider in the limit position of rearward tilt corresponding to thedot and dash line showing of Figs. 4 to 6. In that respect, due to thefact that the bottom edges of the laterally projecting lugs 22 rideuponthe upper edges of the drawer sides, swinging the divider to theposition of maximum rearward tilt, corresponding to the dot and dashline showing-in Figs. 4 and 6, automatically raises the tongues It sothat the convex surfaces of the curved portion 19 of the tongues engagethe rear wall -2| of each slot, with a substantial portion of the uppersurface of the forward projections IB bearing fiat against the undersurface of the drawer bottom ll immediately in front of the selectedpair of slots as seen in the dot and dash line position in Figs. 4 and6. In that way there is less liability to distortion of the material ofthe tray bottom than is the case in the Figs. 1 to 3 construction, wherethere is substantially line contact of the free end of the forwardprojection [8 with the under surface of the drawer bottom, whichdistortion might otherwise be liable to occur due to the heavier weightof documents in the larger file installations.

It will be seen from the full line showing in Figs. 4 and 6 that thelimit position of forward tilt corresponds to that already describedwith reference to Figs. 1 to 3, but as will be seen with reference toFig. 4, the lower edges of the lugs 22 cooperate with the upper edges ofthe drawer sides inboth limit positions of rest to provide added supportincreasing the general rigidity of the divider. That last feature is ofimportance because, without it, the larger sizes of divider havesubstantial flexibility in the panel portions, and thus the featureenables a satisfactorily rigid structure be provided without resort toheavy gauge material.

It will be seen that is both constructions the slots are provided in areentrant formation pressed up directly from the drawer bottom H.

The-tongues lt-thus donet' preject beyondthe base of the drawerstructure and are protected against damage by contact with the cabinetstructure in which the drawers will generally be housed. In some cases,however, where the cabinet structure is not likely to be engaged by thelugs [6 in normal use of the installation, it may be feasible to havethe bottom of the drawer fiat. Furthermore, in some cases the slots maybe provided in a strip formation adapted to be secured in the drawers orlike receptacles in any convenient manner, which expedient can beusefully adopted for converting existing file drawers and likereceptacles for use in accordance with the present invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a filing device having a base member, transversely extending slotsat spaced intervals from front to back of said base member, and a seriesof dividers each having depending tongue means at its lower edgecooperative with said slots for locating said dividers transversely andtiltably in spaced relation along said base member; each of said tongueshaving, in closely spaced relation with respect to the lower edge of itsassociated divider, a rearwardly bent formation merging into a forwardlybent formation, both of said formations extending out of the plane ofsaid divider to an extent greater than the distance from the front toback edges of each of said slot, said formations, in conjunction withthe body of the divider adjacent said tongue means, the slot and thematerial of the base member immediately behind and in front of said slotrespectively, operating to define the rearward and forward limits oftilt between which the divider is movable.

2. In a file drawer having a bottom and up standing lateral side walls,transversely extends ing slot means in said bottom at intervals spacedthroughout the length of the drawer, and a series of dividers eachhaving depending tongue means at its lower edge cooperative with saidslot means for locating said dividers transversely and tiltably inspaced relation along said bottom, and a lug laterally projecting fromeach side of each divider engageable with the upper edges of said drawersides in the limit positions of swinging ing, in closely spaced relationwith respect to the lower edge of its associated divider, a rearwardlybent formation merging into a forwardly bent formation, said formationsboth extending out of the plane of said divider to an extent greaterthan the distance from the front to back edges of each of said slotmeans, said formations, in conjunction with the body of the divider, theslot means, the material of the base member immediately in front of andbehind the slots re spectively operating to define the rearward andforward limits of tilt between which the divider is movable and at whichsaid lugs rest upon the upper edges of the cooperating drawer sides.

3. In combination, a filing device having transversely extending slotslocated at spaced intervals along the bottom of said device for thereception of dividers, a swingable divider comprising a panel having atongue projecting from the lower edge of said panel, said tongue having,in closely spaced relation with respect to the lower edge of said panel,an upper portion projecting out of the plane of the panel and merginginto a terminal portion extending in a reverse sense movement of saiddivider forwardly and rearwardly of said drawer, each of said tongueshavto project beyond the plane of the panel on'the side thereof remotefrom said upper portion, said upper portion and said terminal portionboth projecting out of the plane of the panel to an extent greater thanthe slot dimension from front to back whereby, on engagement of saidtongue in a selected slot, the upper formation cooperates with thebottom adjacent said slot to define one limit position of tilt for saiddivider whereas the terminal projection cooperates with said bottom todefine the opposite limit position of tilt.

DONALD A. GUNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,931,891 Cooper Oct. 24, 1933FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 444, Germ ny 192?

